Healthy Ageing

Each generation of Australians is living a longer life, but when that life becomes beset with health problems and pain, the quality of life diminishes.

Is there a key to living a long AND healthy life? Sure, genetics play a part, but how about a healthy diet and a healthy emotional state?

When it comes to your diet, do you eat because you are hungry and need an energy boost, or do you think about what you put into your body?

If you put the wrong fuel into your car, it wouldn’t work properly. Yet every day, people are putting the wrong food into their body and expecting it to work properly. Processed foods like bread, biscuits, cakes, takeaway foods, high sugar foods, alcohol. And then when our body cries out that it has had enough and can’t cope any more, we wonder why!

Our bodies are very resilient, there is no doubt about that, but often after years of not being fed properly, it loses the battle to stay healthy.

So next time you are hungry, think about what you eating. Make sure it is nutrition dense whole food like fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds that nourish your body. If it comes in a packet, odds are you shouldn’t be putting it into your mouth!

In saying that, of course allow yourself a treat every now and again – after all, we are only human.

It isn’t only food that influences how healthy we are. Are you constantly stressed or do you allow time to relax and de-stress your body? After you have put all that wonderful, fresh, nutrient dense food into your body, take the time to relax and unwind. A constant state of stress can wreak havok on our body. It can cause problems with digestion, immunity, hormones, our muscular system, cardiovascular system and of course, mental wellbeing.

So, to live a long and healthy life, take care of what you put into your body and always take time to relax and reduce your stress levels.

By Andrea Southern, Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist at Stafford and The Gap in Brisbane. For an appointment phone 0412 791 705